Neck attached life preserver



May 24, 1960 H. H. BOYNTON, JR 2,937,387

NECK ATTACHED LIFE PRESERVER Filed Nov. 14. 1957 Herbert H Bow/omit INVENTOR. 1

Unite 2,937,387 NECK ATTACHED LIFE PRESERVER Herbert H. Boynton, In, San Diego, Calif., assignor of tZ-ItiyE-nine percent to Wayne J. King, Palos Verdes,

Filed Nov. 14, 1957, Ser. No. 696,483

3 Claims. (Cl. 9-316) neck attached life preserver which is characterized by its light weight and its self-contained inflatable means.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a neck attached life preserver which obviates the possibility of constriction and possesses a high degree of reliability.

The novelty of this invention lies in the new useful structure of a neck attached life preserver which includes a flat circular neckband adapted to be worn by a swimmer or such having two inflatable packets to the neck band and means carried within said packets to inflate them in response to actuation of actuating means on the outer surface of said packets.

These together with other objects and .advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention showing the neckband about a wearers neck in its uninflated position;

Figure 2 is another perspective view of the invention showing the life preserver in its inflated position;

Figure 3 is a front sectional view of the invention taken substantially along the plane 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of one packet of this invention taken substantially along the plane 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 shows a spring clip to be used in conjunction with the neckband and packet of this invention.

Referring now to the drawings numeral generally designates the neck attached life preserver of this invention having a flat generally circular neckband 12 which is preferably constructed of a material, such as neoprene. The neckband 12 has two transverse slits extending the width of the band. These slits are designated as 14 in Figure 3. It is to be understood that the slits 14 occupy only a small portion of the circumference of the neckband. Inserted within the slits are spring clips 16 constructed of a rust-proof resilient material. As seen in Figure 5, spring clip 16 has a resilient front wall 18 and an overhanging catch portion 20 which cooperate with each other in locking relationship.

Figure 3 shows the spring clip 16 inserted within the transverse slits 14 of neckband 12. The clip 16 is shown in locked position enclosing a portion 22 of neckband 12 therebetween. The spring clip 16 may be securely States P t Ti e Patented May-24,1960

attached to the neck band 12 by any means which'are resistant to detrimental elfect of water. Attached to the resilient wall 18 of spring clip 16 is an inflatable packet 24 villustrated in its uninflated position in dotted form at 26 and in its inflated position in solid form at 2 8 of Figure 3 of the drawings. Located within the packet 24 is a container 30 containing within a compressed gas such as carbon dioxide or for that matter any material capable of being stored in a small container as shown at 30 and also capable of course of inflating packet 24. On the outer surface of packet 24 are means 32 to release the compressed gas from container 30. These means 32 may simply comprise a pointed object which will allow puncture of a retaining diaphragm of container 30.

-In operation, a stricken swimmer wearing the neck attached life preserver of this invention as shown in the drawing of Figure 1 will press actuating means 32 and thereby puncture retaining diaphragm of container 30 allowing the compressed gas therein to flow into the packet 24 and inflate the packet to a position as shown at 28. It should be apparent that in the position as shown in Figure 1 the life preserver attachment being of such lightweight and flat material will not hamper the swimmer in normal action. Furthermore, it should be apparent that upon inflation of the packet 24 the overhanging portion 20 of spring clip 16 will prevent the inflated packet 24 from causing constriction of the wearer. The reliability of this invention should also be apparent, particularly in view of the two packets supplied on the neckband which in no way communicate with each other and therefore the malfunctioning of one will not eifect the second. The two distinct inflatable packets are shown as 24 and 24a and are maintained on the neckband in identical manner. The invention has been devised so that either one of the packets will sustain the weight of the wearer in case of malfunctioning of the other.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. 'Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A life preserver adapted to be attached around the wearers neck comprising a fiat generally circular neckband, said neckband defining a pair of transverse slits through said band extending parallel to the width of said band, a pair of spring clips within said slits, each of said spring clips including an overhanging portion and a front wall adapted to be lockingly received by said overhanging portion for securing said clips to said neckband, a pair of inflatable packets attached to said front walls beneath said overhanging portions whereby said overhanging portions will prevent said inflatable packets from causing constriction of said wearer upon inflation thereof.

2. A life preserver adapted to be attached around the wearers neck comprising a flat generally circular neckband, said neckband defining a pair of transverse slits through said band extending parallel to the width of said band, a pair of spring clips within said slits, each of said spring clips including an overhanging portion and a front wall adapted to be lockingly received by said overhanging portion for securing said clips to said neckband, a pair of inflatable packets attached to said front walls beneath said overhanging portions whereby said overhanging portions will prevent said inflatable packets from causing constriction of said wearer upon inflation then;-

of, and inflating means carried within said packets to inflate said packets whereby the preserver becomes extremely buoyant.

3. A life preserver adapted to be attached around the wearers neck comprising a flat generally circular neckband, said neckband defining a pair of transverse slits through said band extending parallel to the width of said band, a pair of spring clips within said slits, each of said spring clips including an overhanging portion and a front wall adapted to be lockingly received by said overhanging portion for securing said clips to said neckband, a pair of inflatable packets attached to said front walls beneath said overhanging portions whereby said overhanging portions will prevent said inflatable packets from causing constriction of said wearer upon inflation thereof, inflating means carried wtihin said packets to inflate said packets and actuating means on the outer portion of said packets adapted to communicate with said inflating means for actuation thereof, whereby the preserver becomes extremely buoyant.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

